Exploring Geostatistical Modeling and VisualizationTechniques of Uncertainties for Categorical Spatial Data

Abstract

This article presents and analyzes the indicator geostatistical modeling and some visualization techniques of uncertainty models for categorical spatial attributes. A set of sample points of some categorical attribute is used as input information. The indicator approach requires a transformation of sample points on fields of indicator samples according to the classes of interest. Experimental and theoretical semivariograms of the indicator fields are defined representing the spatial variation of the indicator information. The indicator fields, along with their semivariograms, are used to determine the uncertainty model, the conditioned probability distribution function, of the attribute at any location inside the geographic region delimited by the samples. The probability functions are considered for producing prediction and probability maps based on the maximum class probability criterion. These maps can be visualized using different techniques. In this work, it is considered individual visualization of the predicted and probability maps and a combination of them. The predicted maps can also be visualized with or without constraints related to the uncertainty probabilities. The combined visualizations are based on three-dimensional (3D) planar projection and on the Red-Green-Blue to Intensity-Hue-Saturation (RGB-IHS) fusion transformation techniques. The methodology of this article is illustrated by a case study with real data, a sample set of soil textures observed in an experimental farm located in the region of São Carlos city in São Paulo State, Brazil. The resulting maps of this case study are presented and the advantages and the drawbacks of the visualization options are analyzed and discussed.